Les Bleus have a happy habit of fulfilling expectations on home soil. They won the 1984 UEFA European Championship, when Michel Platini drove them to victory with a record-breaking final tournament haul of nine goals, and claimed the FIFA World Cup for the one and only time in 1998 when another famous No10, Zinédine Zidane, inspired them to victory with two goals in the final against Brazil (3-0). Also winners at UEFA EURO 2000, and World Cup runners-up to Italy in 2006, France have struggled to make the same impact at recent major tournaments, falling at the group stage in 2008 and 2010 and exiting in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2012.

France have been ever present in the EURO finals since missing out in 1988, an early end to the defence of the trophy they had lifted on home turf four years earlier. Their second victory came at UEFA EURO 2000, Roger Lemerre's side becoming only the second team after West Germany (1972, 1974) to hold the world and European titles at the same time.

It was a close-run thing. Zidane's extra-time penalty settled a tense semi-final against Portugal before Sylvain Wiltord saved them from a showpiece loss to Italy with a last-gasp equaliser, setting the scene for David Trezeguet's golden-goal winner. Automatic qualifiers as hosts, France will attempt to join Spain on three EURO titles in 2016, having suffered a 2-0 defeat by La Roja in the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-finals.

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